If you loved
Living
Oliver Hermanus · Film · 2022
If Living resonated with you, these stories explore how individuals confront the quiet weight of mortality and the search for late-life meaning.
Start with the source
The source
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Leo Tolstoy · Book · 2014
Adaptation
Ikiru
Film · 1952
Books on the same thread
An Artist of the Floating World
Kazuo Ishiguro · Book · 1989
Like the protagonist in Living, you will recognize the profound sense of reflection and the burden of legacy as a man reconciles his past with his present reality.
The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje · Book · 2011
You connected with the melancholy atmosphere of Living, and this story mirrors that same poignant focus on damaged lives finding connection amidst the lingering aftermath of global conflict.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
Erik Larson · Book · 2020
If you appreciated the historical context of Living, you will find this exploration of leadership and resilience during the Blitz provides a compelling look at the era's human toll.
A Month in the Country
J.L. Carr · Book · 2000
Much like the quiet epiphany found in Living, this novel captures the essential process of a war-weary soul seeking restoration and a sense of purpose in a changing world.
Series on the same thread
Violet Evergarden
Series · 2018
You enjoyed the emotional awakening in Living, and this journey follows a similar path as a detached individual learns to navigate the complexities of human feeling after the war.
Counterpart
Justin Marks · Series · 2017
You were moved by the bureaucratic stagnation in Living, and this series offers a parallel experience, featuring a protagonist who reevaluates his life’s regrets within a rigid institutional system.
The Last Man on Earth
Will Forte · Series · 2015
If you were intrigued by the existential crisis depicted in Living, you will find a more absurd reflection of that same loneliness when a man suddenly loses his societal role.
Catch-22
Luke Davies · Series · 2019
You saw how bureaucracy stifled the human spirit in Living, and this satirical take highlights the same systemic absurdity, focusing on the struggle to maintain sanity against an indifferent machine.
Podcasts on the same thread
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
If Living hit, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend shares the thread.
CounterClock
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2025
If Living hit, CounterClock shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Living based on a previous film?
Living is an adaptation of the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, directed by Akira Kurosawa. Both films tell the story of a bureaucrat who receives a terminal medical diagnosis and attempts to find meaning in his final days after years of feeling empty and trapped in his work.
Should I read The Death of Ivan Ilyich if I liked Living?
Yes, reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a relevant choice for fans of Living. The book explores similar themes of a man confronting the end of his life and reflecting on the meaning of his existence, which serves as a thematic foundation for the narrative in Living.
How does Living compare to the original Ikiru?
Living is a 2022 reimagining of the 1952 film Ikiru. While both films follow a civil servant in post-war society struggling with a terminal diagnosis, Living shifts the setting to 1953 London, adapting the original narrative to reflect the specific bureaucratic environment of the United Kingdom during that period.
Is Living related to the book The Death of Ivan Ilyich?
Living shares thematic DNA with the 2014 edition of The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Both the book and the film examine the existential crisis of a man who realizes his life has been meaningless and seeks to grasp a sense of fulfillment before his impending death.